|
Text: |
Urs Schnyder |
|
Pictures: |
Urs Schnyder & Michael E. Fader |
We from Wings-Aviation were really looking forward to the first Duxford Airshow in three years. Even though events were held in 2021, travel restrictions prevented us from attending any event in the UK. To fuel our positive anticipation, the weather the week before the Airshow was hot and dry so we had high expectations. Little did we know…
As usual, we were at Duxford on the Friday for the rehearsals. It is our experience that on that day you have the opportunity to take good pictures. So it was also this time as the sky was blue and the sun burned down on the airfield. A good number of the pictures in this report were therefore taken on Friday which is why they show blue skies, something which was rather rare during the weekend.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
On Saturday it was extremely cold and there were intermittent showers, while Sunday started sunny and a bit warmer. However, during the day the clouds built up again to a dark threatening background but at least it didn’t rain.
The weather was also responsible that a number of participants like the Wingwalkers couldn’t reach Duxford due to bad weather. For spectators that arrived early on Sunday there was some drama, as a landing DH-89 nosed over during landing and blocked the runway.
Gyro Air Displays
The German built Calidus autogyro was displayed by Peter Davis. He really showed off the agility of this two seat autogyro. The autogyro was invented in 1923 by Juan de la Cierva in Spain. Unlike a helicopter, the rotor is not powered. It turns in the wind generated by the forward movement of the autogyro, propelled by the engine in the rear. Peter Davies was wearing two different gloves, red and green, so the audience could see when he was flying hands off.
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Royal Air Force
The participation of the Royal Air Force proved to be a bit of a disappointment. On Saturday the Falcons couldn’t do their jumps due to the wind and a low cloudbase. The Lancaster was prevented from displaying due to bad weather between Coningsby and Duxford. This left only the Grob Tutor display. On Saturday the pilot took off but then decided that the weather was not good enough to display. Strange enough that the civilian pilots weren’t equally discouraged from doing displays.
The Red Arrows did only a flypast on Saturday on their way to Stanstead airport.
On Sunday the Falcons could finally jump and the Grob Tutor displayed. Altogether a bit of a poor showing by the RAF
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Strikemaster Display UK
The Strikemaster is a light strike aircraft derived from the Jet Provost trainer. A total of 146 were completed and served mostly in the Middle East, were they also saw some combat. The two examples served in the air forces of Saudi Arabia and Oman, whose colours they wear today.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Muscle Pitts
Richard Goodwin is quite well known for his aerobatic displays in the UK. He has modified a Pitts S2S by increasing its Wing area, enlarged rudder and ailerons to make it more manoeuvrable and safer at low speeds.
Even with the enlarged wing it is still a very small aircraft, so a lot of smoke is used to make it very visible to the audience on the ground.
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Bremont Great War Display Team
The Great War Display Team is flying a number of replicas, some of which are scale reductions of the originals, like the SE5a which is a 7/8 scale model of the original. Also the mocked up Junkers CL.1 are scale reproductions as the original was much bigger, and one of the first all metal aircraft produced in numbers, something for which Junkers became famous. As such the lozenge camouflage of the aircraft is not quite accurate. However, this doesn’t distract from the action in which they take part, giving an impression of air combat in the First World War. The Fokker Dr.1s are also reproductions, albeit at the correct size as they are such small aircraft. Contrary to popular belief they were actually built after the appearance of the Sopwith Triplane and could be called a copy of that aircraft.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Stichting Fokker Four
The
Fokker S-11 Instructor was the first type produced by Fokker after the
war. It is quite a simple aircraft with fabric covered Fuselage and
fixed undercarriage. It was not only bought by the Netherlands, but also
produced under license in Brazil and Italy, while Israel also bought 41
examples.
The Stichting Fokker Four team was formed in 1982 and therefore can look
back to fourty years of operation. This is the first time they have
displayed at Duxford.
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Team Raven
Looking at the aircraft the Ravens fly, the Vans RV-8, it doesn’t show at all that it is a self build aircraft. The clean lines of the two seat aircraft rather suggest a commercially available aerobatic type. The six members of the team are all very experienced pilots and fund the team themselves. That means they don’t have any sponsors, which is the reason their aircraft are not covered with advertising. This must be quite rare in today’s world.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Catalina
The Catalina is one of the few heavies based at Duxford. It was built in Canada in 1943 and served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. After the war it was used in several roles before being brought to Britain and restored in the colours of the 5th emergency rescue squadron of the U.S. Army Air Force based in Suffolk. Being an amphibian means it can land on water or land which makes it quite versatile.
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)